After breakfast we were on a bus to the Nielspruit airport to catch our flight to Livingstone, Zambia. Thompson is very good about keeping us on schedule. He thinks of everything. Every time table that involves driving or border crossings, he budgets extra time. He tells us what to expect, with an "ish" after the time to indicate there are forces beyond our control. On this day we have 5 transfers to get to our destination. In order to get to Vic Falls, it is quicker to go Nelspruit and then to Livingstone. But that airport is in Zambia. If we were to go to Vic Falls airport, without having to go through Zambia, we would have had to fly from Nelspruit back to Joburg and then Joburg to Vic Falls.
Thompson giving us a briefing.
We bought our visa for Zambia after the plane ride. Thompson negotiated to let us in the same line as the others who had already purchased theirs, so we were not waiting in the other long line. However the bus to pick us up was later than the ones for the people in line and we left the airport last. We took a bus from the airport to cross the border into Zimbabwe. Another visa purchase. We continued by bus to the Sprayview Hotel which is in the resort area near Victoria Falls. We saw a glimpse of the falls from the plane and over the bridge. We transferred to another bus to drive close to our destination, Hwange National Park in the Northwest part of Zimbabwe. At the Painted Dog conservation center we transferred to a Toyota Landrover safari vehicle for the last part of our journey to the Sabal Sands Lodge which is in the middle of the Hwange Park.
We have MC, the driver, as our guide for this area. Along the way he pointed out a secretary bird, a black backed jackel which we heard cry out for his mates and the beautiful European roller. The resort looks out onto a vast vledt, or open marshy area which may have been a river bed. Our room is a grass thatched round traditional style looking hut, but modern inside. There is no electricity, but they turn on a generator each morning and evening and then there is even internet. We are kept busy and have barely any time to use it. The lodge is owned by a dutch woman and her Zambian husband who have totally renovated an abandoned concession. She had a restaurant in the past and the food is outstanding. We love the game drives, but we are always anxious to get back and see what is cooking. Home made chicken soup, tender pork with mustard sauce, home made lasagna, chicken with peanut sauce and orange peel rice are some examples. A safari is sometimes called a moveable feast broken up into small meals.
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| Ostrich |
Our only ostrich sighting
After dinner we headed for bed anticipating an early wake up call of 5:00am.
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